Nathaniel Holcomb III House
Encyclopedia
The Nathaniel Holcomb III House was the residence of Nathaniel Holcomb III, a prominent resident of Granby, Connecticut
.
. People were settling the central part of Simsbury and Talcott had plans to add settlers to the northern part of the town, know then as Salmon Brook (later to become Granby
). He offered inducements to eleven families to relocate to Salmon Brook. Nathaniel Holcomb was not one of the eleven, as he was already living in the Salmon Brook area, thus becoming the first of the European settlers to the area.
Because of his experience in King Philip's War
, Holcomb was asked to become one of the leaders of the "train band"
in Simsbury.
Holcomb had a son, Nathaniel Junior, who also lived in the area. At one time he owed forty-one pounds to William Thrall of Windsor, which landed him in "gaol" when he could not play. Holcomb Junior "from thense breaking the gaol made him escape", but was tracked down by the sheriff.
A third generation Holcomb, Nathaniel Holcomb III, would built a house in on Bushy Hill road in 1720. At the time, he was 23 years old, had been married for three years, had one daughter, and another child on the way. Earlier, in 1716, the colony of Connecticut had appointed him Lieutenant of the train band of "Symsbury".
One distinction feature of the house are the "funeral doors". These doors open directly into a room, rather than a hallway, and are especially wide. This allows the "dignified" removal of a coffin, without the need to negotiate corners. Often, these doors were not used for any other purpose.
Granby, Connecticut
Granby is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,347 at the 2000 census. The town center was defined as a census-designated place known as Salmon Brook in the 2000 census....
.
The Holcomb Family
In 1679, John Talcott had a plan to "people" the Salmon Brook area.. Only nine years earlier, the area known as Massaco, had petitioned the colony and become the town of SimsburySimsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
. People were settling the central part of Simsbury and Talcott had plans to add settlers to the northern part of the town, know then as Salmon Brook (later to become Granby
Granby, Connecticut
Granby is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,347 at the 2000 census. The town center was defined as a census-designated place known as Salmon Brook in the 2000 census....
). He offered inducements to eleven families to relocate to Salmon Brook. Nathaniel Holcomb was not one of the eleven, as he was already living in the Salmon Brook area, thus becoming the first of the European settlers to the area.
Because of his experience in King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, Holcomb was asked to become one of the leaders of the "train band"
Trainband
Trainbands were companies of militia in England or the Americas, first organized in the 16th century and dissolved in the 18th. The term was used after this time to describe the London militia. In the early American colonies the trainband was the most basic tactical unit. However, no standard...
in Simsbury.
Holcomb had a son, Nathaniel Junior, who also lived in the area. At one time he owed forty-one pounds to William Thrall of Windsor, which landed him in "gaol" when he could not play. Holcomb Junior "from thense breaking the gaol made him escape", but was tracked down by the sheriff.
A third generation Holcomb, Nathaniel Holcomb III, would built a house in on Bushy Hill road in 1720. At the time, he was 23 years old, had been married for three years, had one daughter, and another child on the way. Earlier, in 1716, the colony of Connecticut had appointed him Lieutenant of the train band of "Symsbury".
The House
The house was originally constructed as a lean-to. Subsequent alteration were made, and the house would be described as:One distinction feature of the house are the "funeral doors". These doors open directly into a room, rather than a hallway, and are especially wide. This allows the "dignified" removal of a coffin, without the need to negotiate corners. Often, these doors were not used for any other purpose.